I let out a sigh the moment I entered my 700 sq. ft. apartment.
Turning on the lights, I move towards the kitchen and drop my keys in a little basket on the island. I was about to take a glass from the cabinet when I said fuck it, I could drink straight from the whiskey bottle, it wasn't like I was going to share the fine alcohol with anyone.
I opened the fridge to find something to accompany the drink but found nothing. Makes sense since before I had left for the mission there was nothing there either. I sigh again, making the decision to head over to my room and drink my worries away. I turn on the security system I had turned off when I came in and move to the back of the apartment where my room was located.
My apartment was not luxurious but it was modern and had everything I needed. The walls were painted in off-white, there was a black couch, a flat screen tv and paintings I had acquired over the years hung on the walls. My space had a cool aura and it was the way I like it, there was nothing personal hanging around. The only part that had any info of the kind of personal I was, was my bedroom.
I had every spot painted red, even my bed sheets had the same color. Oscar thought I had it this way because I was really into some kinky shit like Christian Grey and has ever since called it the 'Red Room'. He was right on part of it, I did love kinky sex and more, but it wasn't the reason why every space here was covered in that color. The real reason was more pathetic.
I peel off my leather boots and put them in their right spot in my closet. The one thing about me was that I like to be organized and clean. Everything had its place. I tried to not think about who thought me to be this way, but atlas, I did.
Being surrounded by things that reminded me of him didn't help either. And the crazy thing was I brought nothing of his with me when I ran, this was all done by me. I wanted something of mine to tie him to me. I created this space, not him.
After taking off my clothes, I flop down on the bed in just my black lace two piece lingerie and drink. I drank like a camel starving for water. I had always been a sleepy drunk and was the reason I only drank alcohol at home, and tonight, I needed sleep. I needed to forget about him and this was the fastest way I could think of, although short-termed, it was effective.
It wasn't usually this bad but today was different. I turn my head to the side and set my eyes on the small table beside my bed. On top of it was a necklace with a light gold topaz pendant on it. I haven't worn it in five years and didn't have the heart to throw it out, despite the fact I knew what it represented.
I continue to stare at the necklace until I feel my eyelids start to droop. Knowing I was about to get the thing I wished for, I prayed to who ever was listening for there not to be any dreams, good or bad. I needed the emptiness of darkness. But atlas, my prayer was not answered.
********
I was in my childhood room, 'Single Ladies' by Beyoncé blasting through my headphones. Today was my sixteenth birthday and it was awesome. Well...almost. My parents had thrown me a birthday party at our backyard with the whole members from our gang and some allies showing up. I had received so much birthday presents that we had to store all of them in one of the guest rooms since they weren't all gonna fit in my bedroom.
The party had been amazing and everyone I new had come, even friends that had moved out to college. There had been good music and fireworks at the end. It was great but I was still sad. Almost heartbroken really, since the one person I wanted to wish my a 'happy birthday' didn't come.
I hadn't even seen him at school or get a text of apology from the idiot. I guess that's why I'm listening to the greatest 'fuck you' music of all time. I turn my head to look at my alarm clock on my bed side table and see that the time read 11:00pm. Just an hour left of my birthday. I sigh and close my eyes willing myself not to cry.
He didn't deserve my tears.
Even my parents had asked me where he was but I had nothing to tell them. I mean, who forgot their girlfriend's birthday? Definitely my boyfriend. Nope, ex-boyfriend now.
The sound of that left a bitter taste in my mouth. I wanted to be with him. In the short time that we had been dating, Luke Williams had proved to be one of the most important people in my life, next to my parents.
We've known each other since we were ten and started dating at fifteen, and it had been amazing. He was amazing.
I was so deep in thought that I didn't feel the slight wind coming from my bedroom window that should be closed. But I did feel the fingers running down my back as the bed dipped under me.
I gasped softly and turn to find the very boy I was thinking about behind me, stretch out on my bed. I look up to find my window slightly open and move my eyes back to the crystal grey ones of Luke.
Luke Williams was the definition of hotness. He was a tall brunette who stood 6'1', with an dark brunette hair that almost looked black. His face was so well defined, even though he still had some of his baby fat like the rest of us, they were only centred around his cheeks. I could already see traces of his sharp jaw line and high cheek bones making appearance.
He was slim in built with muscles going around. And even though he was perfect now, I knew Luke was definitely still growing. It always took my breath away when I thought about what he would look like older if he was this beautiful already in his teenage years. What would he look like in his twenties or thirties, that would be a sight to behold. And I just wish I was there to see it.
I'm taken out of my train of thought when my eyes move down to his lips, which I see are smiling and I remember what happened tonight.
Taking out my headphones, I stare him down and ask, "What are you doing here, Luke?"
"I'm hoping this new found liberation Beyoncé is singing about, isn't about me." he answers lifting an eyebrow at me. Gosh, he's sexy when he does that.
"Go home Luke, I don't want you here. Leave the same way you came in" I say, pointing to the window.
"Bunny, I'm sorry. It's not what you think."
"Oh yeah? What exactly am I thinking?"
"That I forgot your birthday."
"Well, didn't you?" I question, staring into his eyes.
"No, Bunny." he whispers, staring right back. The sincerity in his voice calms me down a bit.
"Then where were you? And why didn't you answer any of my calls or text?"
"Didn't Dylan tell you?"
He lets out a curse as I shake my head no and rolls his eyes. "That dipshit." He looks back at me, his eyes holding me in a trance.
"I told Dylan to tell you that I was heading out of town this morning to retrieve a package and that the reason you wouldn't hear from me was because the dickhead had thrown my phone in the pool last night, to find out how long iPhone can last underwater." he explains.
"Oh" I say as I take in what he just said.
He takes my hand closets to his and says, "I could never forget you birthday, Bunny. Not when this day means so much to me."
I look at him with a brow raised, "This day means so much to you because it's the day I was born?"
He smirks, "Yes and no. Yes, I am grateful that you were born on this day. I don't know want to imagine what life could be like if you didn't exist. But this day is also important because It is the first day of the rest of our lives together. It's the day I asked you to be my girlfriend. It's also the day we shared our first kiss, Bunny."
I froze. He's right. This same day last year, Luke had taken me to walk on a trail in the woods behind my family house to ask me to be his girlfriend, after months of innocent flirting. I had said yes, of course and had been more excited at the fact that Luke Williams was my boyfriend than the fact that it was also my birthday. I had been smiling from ear to ear, after he had kissed me under an old willow tree.
It was the best first kiss I could have ever imagine, and the thing that made it mean so much more, was the fact it had also been Luke first ever kiss as well.
I guess this meant that it was also our first anniversary. Oh no, here I was criticizing Luke for forgetting my birthday, which turns out he hadn't, and I had been the one to forget it was also our first anniversary as a couple.
Feeling awful, I drop my eyes, staring down at our entwined hands.
Sensing my mood, Luke says, "Hey, hey...what's wrong?" He uses his free hand to lift my chin up so he can search my eyes. Crystal grey meeting dark chocolate. "I'm sorry for forgetting our anniversary, Luke. Here I was ready to cut you off for forgetting my birthday, when I didn't even remember our one year anniversary as a couple."
"It's okay, Bunny. I didn't say that to make you feel bad. Actually I was kind of hoping you had forgotten, so that this would be more of a surprise." He reaches into his back jeans pocket as he says this, and bring a small red velvet box out.
I frown, looking at the box. It wasn't small enough to be for an engagement ring, which I knew was already out of the option for us right now. We were no where near being engaged. I mean we just got to our first anniversary as a couple and it was already a roller-coaster of emotions.
Don't get me wrong, I wanted to be with Luke forever and actually hoped we got there at some point in the future but in the far future. At least five years down the line. And although I say this now not when a while ago I swore the opposite, I knew now looking at him, that if he asked me to marrying him today, that I would say yes, without hesitation.
It may sound rash and irresponsible but it was the truth. I had no doubt that we would make it as a couple, purely on the reason that we were us; Luke and Scorpio.
I take the box from him and ask in a whisper, "What is it?"
"Open it to find out, Bunny" He answers back in a whisper, staring into my eyes.
He seemed nervous and I knew this was big. Luke Williams rarely got nervous. That was not to say that he was arrogant and over-confident but that he never had a reason to be nervous. Being the heir of one of the most feared gangs in the continent, there was rarely anything to be afraid of when you were taught and trained to fear no man.
That you were the monster most people feared not the other way around. That you had the power to take and destroy lives. That you could own everything. It was the same thing my parents had told me, so I couldn't judge.
We understood each other so well, that I knew whatever was in the box, Luke wanted me to like it.
With slightly sweaty hands, I open the box. I gasps as I find a necklace with a gold chain accompanied with a beautiful delicate stone.
"I know birthstones and astrology are important to you and your folks, so I got the jeweller to swap out the diamond stone for a--"
"Topaz" I sigh.
"Yeah. It wasn't supposed to take me this long to get it but the jeweller didn't have the one with the right color I thought might suit you, so I had to import one from Nigeria last minute. It came in this morning and..." he stops speaking. He realises I haven't said a word and softy asks with something like worry in his voice, "Do you like it?"
I have been staring at him the entire time he was talking and when he stops, I look him straight in the eyes and say, "I think I'm falling in love with you Luke Williams."
He was silent for a bit, as if he wasn't sure he heard right. With the surprise look still on his face, I ask him, "Could you put it on for me?"
I turn around so that my back was to him. I feel him sit up and take the necklace from the box and place it on my neck. I look at the full length mirror in my room that happened to be right in front of me and take in the beauty of the necklace on my skin.
I was still in the dress I had on at the party and it looked perfect with it. I turn my head back to look at Luke and go in for a kiss. I could never get enough of his kisses. Snapping out of the shocked stage he was in, he response to the kiss. Taking control and deepening it, kissing me with so much urgency I wasn't sure was possible for a human to possess.
He kissed me with so much care and passion, that it took my breath away and left me with thoughts about what it would be like to have his lips all over my body.
We come apart and I take in much needed air.
I open my eyes and find that he is already watching me, his cheeks had a rosy tint to them and I thought If I had a lighter skin complexion, I would be red as a tomato right now with where my thoughts had gone to.
"Can you sleep over tonight?" I ask. We always cuddled up whenever he was here at night and I found I always got to sleep the best whenever he was here. He nods and pulls me down to the bed. Taking the duvet and covering both of us.
It wasn't until I was on the verge of sleep that I thought I heard Luke utter his first words in a while. "I love you, Scorpio. I have been in love with you since we were ten years old."
In my sleepy state I feel a flutter of lips behind my ear and go into dream world, with a smile on my lips.